Same place



(No Model.)

4 Sheets- Sheet 1. R. BIRKHOLZ.

DRYING APPARATUS.

Patented May 25,1897.

L9 ovw w (No Model.) A 4 Sheets Sheet 2. R. BIRKHOLZ.

DRYING APPARATUS. No; 583,021. Patented May 25, 1897.

h mn/0% (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. BIRKHOLZ.

DRYING APPARATUS.

No. 588,021. Patented May 25,1897.

o o 62/ W fly z) a o -:f 3@ ,2? Q I I,

a! a a (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

R. BIRKHOLZ. DRYING APPARATUS.

No. 583,021. Patented May 25,1897.

NlTE

ATENT FFICE.

RICHARD BIRKIIOLZ, OF MILIVAUKEE, IVISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO PAIVLING &HARNISCHFEGER, OF SAME PLACE.

DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,021, dated May 25,1897.

Application filed June 24, 1895- Serial No. 553,777. (No model.)

To all? whom it may concern: Fig. 3 is an end elevation viewed from theBe it known that I, RICHARD BIRKHOLZ, of right. Fig. 4 is an endelevation viewed from Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and the leftwith reference to Fig. 1; and Fig. 5

State of Wisconsin, have invented certain is a cross-section,onagreatly-enlarged scale,

5 new and useful Improvements in Drying Apof a portion of the perforatedcylinder conparatus and I do hereby declare that the folstituting a partof the feeding and compresslowing is a full clear, and eXact descriptioning device. of the invention, which will enable others A designates acasing the sides of which skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake may be conveniently constructed of Wood IO and use the same,reference being had to the lined with zinc and the ends of cast-iron. It

accompanying; drawings, and to the letters of isprovided near thebottom, in the ends, with reference marked thereon, which form a partair-inlet openings controlled and adjustable of this specification. inarea by valves or dampers a a, as shown The main objects of my inventionare to in Figs. 3 and 4. A pipe or stack to, opening I 5-continuouslyevaporate the moisture from vaout of the upper partthereof,serves to conduct riousmaterials, such as waste brewery-grains,off the vapors from the drying material and and in the attainment ofthat end to dispense to produce an upward draft or current of air with avacuum as heretofore proposed in apthrough the drier, the strength ofsuch draft paratus described in United States Letters or current and theamount of air admit-ted to 20 Patent No. 449,359, granted to me March31, the drier being regulated by the dampers a a.

1891. While such apparatushas been in suc- B B are a number of U-shapedtroughs or cessful use for a number of years, the injecretorts arrangedhorizontally one above antion-Water required to maintain the vacuumother within said casing and open at the top is under some circumstancesobtainable with in communication therewith. They are pro- 2 5 difficultyor at such high cost as to render the vided on the bottom and sides withjackets employment of the apparatus impracticable; b b, which aresupplied with steam or other 7 5 besides the original cost of suchapparatus heating medium through a pipe 0 and is considerable, and itrequires constant and branches containing valvesc c. A Waste-pipeskilful care and attendance. By dispensing D is connected by branches dd With the hot- 0 with the vacuum, which is indispensable to toms of theseveral jackets and serves to conthe successful operation of my formerappaduct therefrom the Water of condensation and ratus, I not only avoidthe use of the injecwith the supply-pipe O and its connections totion-water required to maintain the vacuum, maintain a circulation ofthe heating medium but also avoid the skilled attendance and throughsaid jackets.

3 5 much of the care required to keep the appa- The ends of the casingare made in sections ratus in Working order, besides simplifying d dhaving openings corresponding in shape 8 and reducing the cost of theapparatus. with the cross-section of the troughs B B,

My present invention consists in certain which are seated therein attheir ends and novel features in the construction and arheld down firmlyagainst their seats by in- 0 rangement of the component parts ofapparaverted bolts (0 a threaded in said sections tus generallyresembling that shown and deand hearing at their, heads against theupper scribedin my former patentabove mentioned. edges of the troughs onboth sides and at In the accompanying drawings like letters both ends,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The designate the same parts in the severalfigseveral sections a a are flanged around their 45 ures. edges and thetrough-openings and are joined Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection and bolted together in horizontal planes co- 5 of my improveddrier. Fig. 2 is a vertical incident, or nearly so, with the tops of thecross-section of the same on an enlarged scale, troughs, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 3. The viewed from the right with reference to Fig. 1.sides of troughs B are each constructed of boiler-iron or sheet-metalplates riveted at the ends to U-shaped bars and along their upper edgesto longitudinal bars, thus forming the heating-jackets Z) I), and theends of the troughs are made of east-iron plates bolted to the U -shapedbars in the ends of the jacket and formed with bearings for the journalsor gudgeons of the stirrers. The troughs being thus constructedseparately from the casing allow for their unequalexpansion andcontraction without subjecting the apparatus to injurious strain. Eitherof the several troughs or stirrers may also be removed from the easingfor repairs or renewal without disturbing the others. The ends of thecasing being made in sections corresponding with the several troughsadmits of readily assembling any desired number of troughs one aboveanother in a single machine and of constructing to or-.

der a machine of greater or smaller capacity, as required, withoutchange or multiplication of patterns.

The upper trough or retort is provided with a rotary stirrer consistingof scoops or blades e (2, formed with wings or flanges at the sides andadjustably attached to angle-bars e c, which are carried by the outerends of arms or spiders (2 mounted upon a central shaft E, supported inbearings in the ends of said trough or retort. The scoops or blades c 0project outwardly from their supporting-bars e into close proximity withthe trough, with their wings or flanges arranged radially with respectto the shaft E, about which they turn. They serve not only to loosen andagitate the material and preventit from adhering to the heated walls ofthe trough, but also to move it slowly from end to end therein. Theprogressive movement of the material through the retort may beaccelerated or retarded by adjusting the scoops e 6 so as to change theinclination of their wings or flanges with reference to the plane ofrotation. The lower retorts or troughs are provided with hollow rotarystirrers which consist of a central hollow shaft or pipe F, attached atthe ends to heads formed with hollow gudgeonsff, and a helicalheating-coil surrounding said pipe from end to end and connected at theends with said heads, through which it communicates with the hollowgudgcons f f. The pipe F communicates at one end through the head towhich it is attached with the hollow gudgeon and adjacent end of theheating-coil, which is so constructed and arranged as to receive thewater of condensation collecting therein and to conduct it to theopposite end of the stirrer and discharge it through the adjacentgudgeou f. The coil is supported on bars 9 g, connected at intervalswith the pipe F by arms or brackets g.

f f are radiating wings or plate-s arranged lengthwise of the pipe Fwith which they are in close contact at their inner edges throughouttheir entire length, so as to conduct the heat therefrom and communicateit to the material with which they come in contact. They are secured andheld in place between the brackets g g, as shown in Fig. 2. To the outerside of the coil G are secured anglebars 6 parallel with its axis, andto these bars are ad j ustably attached outwardly-projecting scoops orblades c like or similar to those forming a part of the stirrer in theupper trough or retort. Both the scoops or blades c and c" are adjustedby loosening the nuts on the bolts by which they are secured to theangle-bars c and c turning them on said bolts into the desired position,and when they are properly set tightening said nuts.

The coil G is formed with close turns, so as to present a largeheating-surface, and it is made continuous from end to end withoutcouplings or joints which are liable to become loose and leak. It alsoallows for expansion and contraction due to the great variations oftemperature to which it is sub jected without strain upon its supportingconnections at the ends. It serves not only to heat the material withwhich it comes in contact, but also to advance it through the trough orretort from end to end. The scoops or blades c", which project outwardlyfrom said coil into close proximity with the walls of the trough orretort, carry the material upward from the lower part thereof and pitchit forward over and through the upper part of the coil G and upon theupper part of the pipe F, upon which it is retained by the wings f. Thescoops, which are formed on one or both sides with wings or flanges, maybe adjusted so as to retard the progressive movement of the materialproduced by the helical coil G, more or less, as desired. The trunnionsff of the stirrers are provided with graphite bearings, which require nooil and are not affected by heat. They have tubular extensions at theirouter ends, projectingthrough stuffing-boxes into hollow heads f" and f.The heads f are connected by branch pipes it with a steam-supply pipe I,provided with a valve i, and the heads f are connected by pipes j with awell or reservoir J, located below them. The coils Gr of the stirrersare constructed and arranged to take up the water of condensationcollecting in the pipe F and its connections at the end of each stirreradjacent to its steam-inlet connection and to discharge it through thehollow trunnion at the opposite end of the stirrer, from which it isconducted off through the outlet connections into the reservoir J. Aforce-pump K, (shown in Fig. 4,) driven by an eccentric 7.; on one ofthe trunnions of the lower stirrer, takes the hot condensed steam fromsaid reservoir J and forces it through a pipe 7t" (shown in Fig. 1) backinto the boiler, from which steam is supplied to the drier. By thusconnecting the pump the removal of the water of condensation from theheatingspaces of the drier and its return in a heated condition to theboiler to be reevaporated are insured while the machine is in operation.

Each troughor retort B is formed at the upper side of one end with aninlet-spout b and at the lower side of the opposite end with anoutlet-spout b the outlet-spout b of each upper trough or retort beingconnected with the inlet-spout b of the trough or retort next below itand constituting therewith a passage between the two retorts. Theseveral discharge-spouts b are formed in their outer sides with openingsprovided with gravitatin g doors 5 by means of which the condition ofthe material passing through them may be readily observed. Thedischarge-spout of the lower trough opens into a closed conduit or boxL, provided with a screw conveyer Z, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, forremoving the dried material as it is discharged from said trough. Thecasing A is provided with doors or removable sections a a adjacent tothe upper open sides of the troughs or retorts B, thus affording easyaccess thereto for the purpose of making repairs, adjusting the scoopson the stirrers, observing the operation of the machine, &c.

M designates the feeding and compressing device for squeezing free orsurplus water from the material to be dried and delivering it into theupper trough or retort. It consists of a hollow perforated cylinder m,open at one end and having alateral opening at the opposite end throughone side, with which the feeding hopper or spout m communicates, acompressing-screw m opposite the feed-hopper on a shaft m passingaxially through said cylinder, and at the delivery end of said screw aspider or one or more wings m projecting radially from said shaft tosaid cylinder and serving to prevent the material acted upon by saidscrew from partaking of its rotary m ovement.

m is a screw of greater pitch than the screw m mounted upon andadjustable lengthwise of the shaft m within the cylinder m between itsopen discharging end and the delivery end of the compressing-screw m Nis a conveyer trough or conduit constituting a continuation of thecylinder m, extending from its delivery end to the inletspout b of theupper trough or retort B. It is provided with a screw con veyer '11,arranged to agitate the material and move it forward from the compressorinto the machine. The compressing and feeding device, including saidconveyer, are placed lengthwise over the upper trough or retort, and thematerial to be dried is thus subjected to considerable heat before itenters the upper trough.

m is an agitator consisting of a rotary shaft passing transverselythrough the throatof the feed hopper or spout m and provided withradiating arms, by which any lumps in the material are broken up, andthe clogging of the feed hopper or spout is prevented.

The perforations in the cylinder m are preferably made of increasingsize toward the outside, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to prevent theirbecoming clogged.

By moving the screw m toward the screw m the material will be removedfaster from the cylinder, and less pressing action will be exertedthereon by the screw m By increasing the distance between the screw mand the perforated cylinder a space is afforded for the accumulation ofthe material, which itself acts as a filter and admits of the use oflarger perforations in the cylinder m.

The feeding and compressing device and the stirrers may be driven byvarious forms and arrangements of mechanism. I have shown as convenientand suitable for the purpose a cross-shaft 0, provided with abevel-pinion 0, and a pulley o for connection by a belt with anyconvenient source of power. The pinion 0 meshes with a bevelgear P,formed with or attached to a gear 19 and mounted to turn upon a studprojecting from one end of the machine parallel with the axes of thestirrers. The gear 29 meshes on the upper side with similar gear p,mounted upon the shaft E of the upper stirrer, and on the lower sidewith a gear 19 mounted upon the trunnion of the stirrer in the trough orretort next below. The gear p meshes directly with a similar gear 12mounted on the projecting trunnion of the stirrer next below, and ifthere are more stirrers they are driven in like manner.

The screw it of conveyer N is driven by a belt from a pulley 'n on theshaft E of the upper stirrer, and the screw m of the feedng andcompressing device is driven by a chain belt from a sprocket-wheel m onthe opposite end of said shaft E.

The agitator m is driven by a chain belt from a sprocketwheel m on theshaft of screw m Below the perforated cylinder m I provide a trough orpan Q, having a waste-pipe connection q for catching and conducting offthe water squeezed from the wet material through the perforations insaid cylinder.

My improved machine operates as follows: The wet material to be dried isfed through the hopper or spent on at the top of the machine into theperforated cylinder m, any lumps contained therein being disintegratedby the agitator m The screw m engaging the material fed into saidcylinder, compresses it against the perforated walls of the cylinder,squeezing the free or surplus water therefrom through the perforationsin said cylinderinto the trough or pan Q, from which it is conducted offthrough the waste-pipe q. In passing from the delivery end of said screwbetween the stationary wings of the spider "m the material is preventedfrom participating in the rotary movement of the compressing-screw m andis, according to the position of the relieving-screw m more or lesscompacted and further freed from water in lCC IIO

the perforated cylinder beyond the delivery end of the screw m The screwat, being of greater pitch than the screw m engaging with the compactedmaterial, advances it more rapidly and consequently loosens it up anddelivers it to the conveyer N, where it is engaged by the screw 01 andmoved forward into the opposite end of the trough B. In its passage overthe upper trough it is subjected to considerable heat and itstemperature raised, so that when it enters the upper trough it is incondition to more readily and quickly give off the moisture which itcontains. Upon entering the upper trough it comes in contact with itsheated walls and is constantlystirred and progressivelymoved from inletto outlet by the scoops c e of the upper stirrer. Brewery-wastecontaining in solution considerable quantities of saccharine matterduring evaporation passes through a viscous or sticky stage, in which ittends to adhere tenaciously to heated surfaces. As the material isintended to pass through this stage in the upper trough I prefer not toheat the upper stirrer, and thus avoid the material sticking thereto.The scoops a, working in close proximity with the walls of the trough,prevent the material from adhering thereto and aecumulating thereon.Both before and after the sticky stage is reached and passed no troubleis experienced with its sticking to heated surfaces, so thathighly-heated stirrers may be used in the lower troughs or retorts toadvantage. The material passing from the upper trough into the one nextbelow it is carried upwardly in contact with its heated walls by thescoops c, which, as they pass over the top of the stirrer, thrust thematerial forward over and between the turns of the upper portion of theheating-coil G. That portion of the material falling through the coil iscaught by the wings f and retained thereby in contact with themselvesand the heated surface of pipe F during the upper part of itsrevolution. The turns of the coil are in close proximity with each otherand thus permit only a portion of the material to fall between them, therest being pitched forward over the heated surfaces of the coil, whichforms, in effect, a cylinder having a helical slot through itsperiphery. The helical shape of the coil which dips into the materialcontained in the trough tends to move it forward from the inlet to theoutlet end, while the wings of the scoops may be set to retard suchprogressive movement more or less, as desired, according to the natureand condition of the material.

During the operation of the machine while the hollow stirrers areconstantly turned the water formed by the condensation of steam in thepipes F and coils G and their connections is taken up at one end of thecoils, conducted through them to the opposite ends, where it isdischarged through the adjacent hollow trunnions f f and the hollowheads f" f into the pipes j], by which it is conducted into thereservoir J, whence it is forced by pump K back into the boiler.

The machine may be provided with any number of troughs or retortsfurnished with more or less plain or solid and hollow steamheatedstirrers, according to the nature of the material to be operated uponand the amount of work to be done.

The doors (Z (Z not only serve for inspecting the material, but alsoalford relief and prevent injury to the machine by opening and allowingthe material to escape in case the connections between the retorts belowthem become choked or clogged.

Various changes in minor details of construction and arrangement may bemade within the spirit and intended scope of my invention.

I claim- 1. I11 drying apparatus the combination of a casing having airinlet and outlet at or near the bottom and top respectively, a number ofsteam-jacketed troughs open at the top in communication with theinterior of said casing and arranged one above another, a feeding deviceand eonveyer extending over the upper trough from end to end and meansof progressively moving the material to be dried through the severaltroughs, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In drying apparatus a trough or retort provided with a rotary helicalheating-coil having its turns in close proximity with each other andscoops or blades projecting outside of said coil close to the walls ofthe trough or retort and adapted in their ascent to scoop up thematerial to be dried and pitch it forward over the outer surface of thecoil, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In drying apparatus a trough or retort provided with a rotary helicalheating-coil and scoops or blades having radially-disposed wings orflanges and adjustably connected with said coil so as to admit ofvarying the inclination of their wings or flanges to the plane ofrotation, whereby the progressive movement of the material produced bysaid coil may be retarded more or less as desired, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

at. The combination with a jacketed trough or retort of a rotary stirrercomprising a hollow shaft supported at the ends by hollow trunnions inthe ends of the retort and provided with heat-conducting radiating wingsor plates arranged lengthwise thereof and in contact therewith, ahelical heating-coil surrounding said hollow shaft and its wings andconnected at the ends with said trunnions, and scoops or bladesprojecting outside of said coil, substantially as and for thepurposesset forth.

5. The combination with a trough or retort of a rotary stirrercomprising a hollow shaft or pipe provided with radially-disposed wingsor plates arranged lengthwise thereof and with hollow trunnions bearingin and projecting through the ends of the retort, a helical heating-coilsurrounding said hollow shaft and its wings connected at the ends withsaid trunnions and communicating at one end with said pipe so as toreceive and remove the water of condensation therefrom, scoops or bladeshaving wings or flanges and adj ustably attached to said stirrer outsideof said coil so as to admit of Varying the inclination of their wings orflanges to the plane of rotation of the stirrer and thus retard theprogressive movement of the material more or less as desired,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In drying apparatus, the combination with a trough or retort of arotary stirrer comprising a hollow shaft or pipe provided with hollowtrunnions which have bearings in and project through the ends of saidtrough and having radially-disposed wings or plates arranged lengthwisethereof and, in contact therewith, and scoops or blades constructed andarranged to lift the material from the bottom of the trough and pitch itover and upon the upper side of said pipe and its wings, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

7. In drying apparatus a feeding device comprising a hollow perforatedcylinder having feed and discharge openings at or near opposite ends, ascrew conveyer placed therein adjacent to the feed-opening, and one ormore radially-disposed wings located near the discharging end of saidconveyer and arranged to prevent the rotation of the material acted uponby said conveyer, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In dryingapparatus afeedingdevice and press for removing surpluswater from the material to be dried, comprising a hollow perforatedcylinder open at one end, a feed hopper or spout opening into the sideof said cylinder at or near its opposite end, a screw conveyer supportedaxially within said cylinder adjacent to the feed-opening, one or morestationary radiating wings placed in said cylinder at or near thedischarge end of said conveyer, a screw conveyer of greater pitchlocated within said perforated cylinder between its discharging end andsaid radiating wing, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In drying apparatus a feeding device comprising a hollow perforatedcylinder open at one end, a feed hopper or spout opening into the sideof said cylinder at or near its opposite end, a compressing screwconveyer supported axially within said cylinder, a radiat ing wing orspider placed in said cylinder at or near the discharge end of saidconveyer, a relieving screw conveyer of greater pitch mounted upon ashaft extending axially through said cylinder and adjustable lengthwisethereon between its discharging end and said compressing conveyer,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In drying apparatus a feeding and au tomat-ic compressing device forremoving surplus water from the material to be dried, comprising ahorizontally-disposed perforated cylinder open at its discharging end, afeed hopper or spout opening into the upper side of said cylinder, anagitator placed in the throat of said spout or hopper, a compressingscrew conveyer mounted axially. in said cylinder, a stationary spider orwing placed within'said cylinder at or near the discharge end of saidconveyer, a relieving -conveyer of greater pitch mounted upon a shaftextending axially through said cylinder and adjustable lengthwisethereon, and a trough or basin placed below said cylinder and providedwith a waste connection, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

11. In drying apparatus the combination with one or more retorts, eachprovided with a stirrer, of a feeding and compressing device forremoving surplus water from the material to be dried, comprising ahorizontally-disposed perforated cylinder open at one end and providedat or near the opposite end with a feed hopper or spout opening into theupper side thereof, a rotary shaft extending axially through saidcylinder, a compressingscrew mounted upon said shaft opposite oradjacent to the feed-opening into said cylinder, a retarding spider orwing placed in said cylinder at or near the discharge end of said screw,a relieving-screw of greater pitch adjustably mounted upon said shaftbetween said spider and the discharge end of said cylinder, and aconveyer extending from the discharge end of said cylinder over saidretort to the inlet at its opposite end, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

12. In drying apparatus, a feeding and automatic compressing device forremoving water from the material to be dried, comprising a hollowperforated cylinder, a compressingscrew arranged axially within' saidcylinder, a feed hopper or spout opening into said cylin der and meansfor regulating the discharge of material from said cylinder and therebysubjecting it to greater or less compression by said screw as desired,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. In drying apparatus the combination of a number of jacketed troughsor retorts provided with stirrers, a casinginclosingsaid troughs orretorts on the sides and formed in the ends with openings in which theends of the troughs are fitted and seated, and end plates attached toand closing the ends of said troughs independently of the casing,whereby endwise expansion and contraction of the troughsis permittedWithout injurious strain on the apparatus, and the removal of any troughor stirrer from the casing is facilitated,substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

14. In drying apparatus, the combination too of a number of jacketedtroughs or retorts, a casing formed in the ends with openings in whichthe ends of the troughs are fitted and seated, screws threaded in theends of the casing and bearing downwardly against the upper edges of thetroughs which are thereby held snugly against the bottoms of saidopenings, and end plates attached to and closing the exposed ends ofsaid troughs independently of said casing, substantially as and for 10the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two Witnesses.

RICHARD BIRKIIOLZ.

Vitnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, D. A. KELLEY.

